Semiconductor device and method of fabricating the same

Abstract

A semiconductor device is provided that includes a diffusion barrier layer between a compound semiconductor layer and a dielectric layer, as well as a method of fabricating the semiconductor device, such that the semiconductor device includes a compound semiconductor layer; a dielectric layer; and a diffusion barrier layer including an oxynitride formed between the compound semiconductor layer and the dielectric layer.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A semiconductor device comprising:
 a compound semiconductor layer; 
 a dielectric layer; and 
 a diffusion barrier layer comprising an oxynitride layer formed between the compound semiconductor layer and the dielectric layer, and also 
 wherein the diffusion barrier layer further comprises a nitride layer formed on the compound semiconductor layer by nitriding a surface of the compound semiconductor layer. 
 
     
     
       2. The semiconductor device of  claim 1 , wherein the compound semiconductor layer comprises at least one element of groups III, V, and VI in the periodic table. 
     
     
       3. The semiconductor device of  claim 1 , wherein the diffusion barrier layer comprises at least one of HfON x , SiON x , AlON x , TiSiON x , TaSiON x , HfSiO x N y , and M x O y N z , where M denotes a transition metal or rare-earth metal. 
     
     
       4. The semiconductor device of  claim 1 , wherein the diffusion barrier layer has a thickness of about 10 nm or less. 
     
     
       5. The semiconductor device of  claim 1 , wherein the dielectric layer comprises at least one of HfO 2 , Al 2 O 3 , La 2 O 3 , ZrO 2 , HfSiO, HfSiON, HfLaO, LaAlO, and SrTiO. 
     
     
       6. The semiconductor device of  claim 1 , further comprising a passivation layer between the compound semiconductor layer and the diffusion barrier layer. 
     
     
       7. The semiconductor device of  claim 6 , wherein the passivation layer comprises at least one of sulfur (S), nitrogen (N), fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), and hydrogen (H) formed on the compound semiconductor layer. 
     
     
       8. The semiconductor device of  claim 1 , wherein the diffusion barrier layer further comprises at least one of silicon nitride (SiN), aluminum nitride (AlN), and hafnium nitride (HfN) formed on the compound semiconductor layer. 
     
     
       9. The semiconductor device of  claim 1 , wherein the diffusion barrier layer and the dielectric layer comprise the same material. 
     
     
       10. The semiconductor device of  claim 9 , wherein the diffusion barrier layer and the dielectric layer comprise at least one of HfO x N y  and HfSiO x N y . 
     
     
       11. A method of fabricating a semiconductor device, the method comprising:
 forming a diffusion barrier layer comprising an oxynitride on a compound semiconductor layer; and 
 forming a dielectric layer on the diffusion barrier layer, and also 
 wherein the diffusion barrier layer further comprises a nitride layer formed on the compound semiconductor layer by nitriding a surface of the compound semiconductor layer. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the compound semiconductor layer comprises at least one element of groups III, V, and VI in the periodic table. 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the diffusion barrier layer comprises at least one of HfON x , SiON x , AlON x , TiSiON x , TaSiON x , HfSiO x N y , and M x O y N z , where M denotes a transition metal or rare-earth metal. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 13 , wherein the diffusion barrier layer is formed by an ALD (atomic layer deposition) method, a CVD (chemical vapor deposition) method, and/or a sputtering method. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the diffusion barrier layer further comprises at least one of SiN, AlN, and HfN, and after the step of forming of the dielectric layer, the method further comprises a step of performing a thermal annealing treatment. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 11 , wherein prior to the step of forming the diffusion barrier layer, the method comprises a step of forming a passivation layer on the compound semiconductor layer. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 16 , wherein the passivation layer comprises at least one of sulfur (S), nitrogen (N), fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), and hydrogen (H) formed on the compound semiconductor layer. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 11 , wherein the diffusion barrier layer and the dielectric layer comprise the same material.